Saturday, January 31, 2009

From 3:00 in the morning until 10:00 of near noon, an number of almost 50,000 runners participated in the mixed marathon project “Isang Araw Lang Takbo para sa Libreng Kolehiyo” held at SM Mall of Asia Pasay City last January 31, 2009. This was a history-made for having the largest number of participants who joined a sports event, this time, with a cause, in the Philippine Sports History.

The marathon included 300 meter-run for kiddie run division, and one (1), five (5), ten (10) and 21 kilometers for family, fun, discovery, challenge run, and half marathon divisions respectively.

Mr. Razon said that he was inspired by Bro. Soriano’s message before about students’ education. “Students may study now and pay nothing in return.” He said that the marathon contributed a great help to pursue the support to students who were granted scholarships, and to continue the project’s response to its supported schools’ needs.

One of the schools that this project is supporting is the La Verdad Christian College. The project grants students free college education, free uniforms, books, school supplies, and even food and lodging allowances.

Winners of the event were the renowned Kenyan runner Mr Williy Tanui for men’s division and Ms. Miscelle Gilbuena, the 2009 Philippine International Marathon winner, for womens division both from the 21-kilometer half marathon.

Featuring the latest automobiles and car clubs, auto technologies and innovations, plus a bazaar, the three-day event for car lovers alike also showcased different automobile products and services, a techno and science fair, organizational meet-ups, and even a street dancing competition.

Special guest bands Play and Hammilan also graced the event, together with Mr. Jerick Ternida, more popularly tagged as the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the Philippines. Among the participants in the event were several auto-detailing groups and customs shops, including those that install cutting edge sound systems and accessories.

The British Council launched the 1st Philippine International English Language Conference and ACCESS: The UK Education Fair last January 31 to February 1, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The event showcased the exchange of strengths and expertise of British and Filipino Experts in the areas of English and provides study opportunity in the UK.

The Philippine International Language Conference is a gathering of English experts from all over the world. Plenary Speakers include David Nunan, chair professor of Applied Linguistics and director of English Linguistics in Stockholm University; and Jane Lockwood, head of the English Language centre at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Moreover, the UK Education Fair was also featured alongside the ELT Conference. It is an annual exhibition of UK institutions that come to the Philippines to discuss study opportunities with Filipinos who wish to avail UK education.

During the event, known advocates of human rights, government officials, members of international organizations, as a well as representatives of the media, were present during the two-day event. These include Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, CHR Chairperson Leila de Lima, Former Senator Wigberto Tanada, UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer, Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, Social Weather Station Founder and President Mahar Mangahas, and Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines Ambassador Alistair McDonald.

Among the topics discussed were governance, anti-corruption measures, human rights, integrity in peace and order, corporate governance and the banking sector's compliance standards.

In her speech, CHR Chairperson de Lima pointed out that graft, which in its sense, a violation of human rights, infects more than just the Philippine government because it infects nearly all aspects of the people’s lives. She added that what the Filipinos need now is not just another revolution. She said, “We need a revolution that upstages all previous revolutions, one that not only changes the configuration of political power, but one that changes the Filipino psyche.”

On the other hand, Justice Panganiban insisted on the strict enforcement of the Ethical Standards Law and to strenghten the country's democratic institutions by demanding from the country's officials the faithful performance of their constitutional and legal duties.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Alexander Yano, as read by Brigadier General Victor Felix, stressed that it is not the AFP's policy to condone, tolerate or engage in human rights violations and abuses. Furthermore, the AFP believes that the greatest human rights violation is the exploitation of poverty and ignorance for they see how these are often manipulated by the enemies of Philippine democracy.

Dr. Rita Jordan of the University of Birmingham, a well respected expert in autism, graced the recently concluded "Good Autism Practice: Developing a Curriculum for Life" seminar held last January 29 – 31, 2009 at the Every Nation Leadership Institute in Bonifacio Global City in Makati City.

During the event, Dr. Jordan discussed ways of assessing the value of an intervention during the early years and school age, evidence-based interventions and programs in adolescence, issues and concerns of adults with autism, and issues in early detection and management of asperger syndrome (a type of ASD in children and adults). On the other hand, local expert Dr. Alexis Reyes, associate professor from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine -Department of Pediatrics, discussed the ASD situation in the Philippines. The event was concluded with the book launching of Mr. Gabriel Atienza's autobiography, “My Life as a Comic Book”.

Practitioners from all the disciplines of engineering gathered for the first time in the First Philippine Engineering Summit held last January 29 – 31, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center,Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, in Pasay City.

First Philippine Engineering Summit over-all chairman Engr. Francisco Bravo, Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, together with the Presidents of the member organizations of the PTC graced the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Around eighty exhibitors showcased the latest and state-of-the-art modern engineering products and services.

The second day of the summit marked the beginning of the convention proper. PTC President Engr. Alfredo Antonio gave the welcome address during the opening ceremony. Undersecretary Ramon Aquino of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH), representing Secretary Hermohenes Ebdane, served as the guest speaker of the ceremony. In his message, Undersecretary Aquino acknowledged the importance of engineers as the builders of the future and the people who lay the foundation for the growth and development in the country. He also added that, without the expertise and experience of the Filipino engineers, the growth of the infrastructure network would not be as robust. In his keynote address, Secretary Reyes encouraged the delegates to take pride in their profession. He also advised them to explore more on renewable energy. Afterwards, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Engineer Register Engr. Romulo R. Agatep headed the conferment of ASEAN Engineers.

Sessions on the third day discussed issues in engineering practice. Amiong the topics discussed were Washington Accord/ Mutual Recognition Agreement, Professional Continuing Education, and Climate Change. This was followed by an open forum where the delegates raised their concerns in the area of engineering education.

Engineering Practice capped the morning session of the third day. Among of the topic discussed were “Addressing the Gap between Engineering Graduates and the Industry”, “Interventions that the Private Institutions and Industry Can Contribute to Produce Globally Competitive Engineers”, “Outsourcing of Engineering Services”, ”Relationship of Engineers with Foreign Consultants in the Country.” The afternoon sessions were focused on the area of Engineering Governance. Among the topics tackled are Regulation, Procurement Act (Republic Act 9184), and Arbitration.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Malacañang has released this year’s list of holidays to guide the business sector and other institutions on planning their activities.

Based on Proclamation No. 1699 signed by President Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo last December 24, 2008, there are ten (10) long holidays for 2009.

This year’s regular holidays are:

April 6 (the Monday nearest to April 9 which is Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor)

April 9 (Maundy Thursday)

April 10 (Good Friday)

May 1 (Labor Day)

June 12 (Independence Day)

August 31 (National Heroes Day)

November 30 (Bonifacio Day)

December 25 (Christmas Day)

December 30 (Rizal Day)

On the other hand, the following are special non-working holidays:

August 21 (Ninoy Aquino Day)

November 1 (All Saints Day)

November 2 (additional special non-working day)

December 24 (additional special non-working day)

December 31 (last day of the year)

The date of Eid’l Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which is declared as a national holiday, shall be determined by the Office of Muslim Affairs in accordance with the lunar calendar.

The long weekend and movement of holidays is in compliance with Republic Act 9492 or known as the Holiday Economics Law. It states that holidays that fall on a Wednesday will be observed on a Monday. If it falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on a Monday.

Holiday economics was introduced by President Arroyo in 2001 as a way to allow Filipinos to spend more time with their families and a way to encourage domestic tourism.

With the early release of this year’s list of holidays, Makati Business Club Executive Director Alberto Lim said, in his interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer, that this would be beneficial to the local tourism industry, as families would be able to travel; and promote consumer spending which in turn, benefits the economy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Donald Dee, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries said in the same interview that the early release would help them schedule their activities throughout the year. He adds that the long weekend may help firms improve productivity.

The annual WPPI Convention & Trade Show, the wedding photography industry's premier expo and educational conference, features a variety of events, exhibits, presentations and workshops showcasing the world's top wedding, portrait, commercial, lifestyle-social and fine art photographers, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers. This year, over 130 different classes, workshops and seminars, headed by world-renowned photographers in the industry will be offered. Furthermore, almost 300 companies will present their latest products and services for the Trade Show.

On February 15, golf enthusiasts can join the WPPI 2009 15th Annual Golf Tournament to be held at the Desert Pines Golf Club in Las Vegas. In the evening, the official opening of WPPI 2009 will happen at the WPPI & Canon Wedding and Welcome Reception. The reception will have a completely staged wedding, photographed by photography legends Joe Buissink, Bambi Cantrell, Jerry Ghionis, Denis Reggie and Yervant.

The winners of the 2009 WPPI Awards of Excellence Print and Album Competition along with the four winners of the 8 x 10 International Prints of the Year Competition will be announced during the WPPI and Kodak Awards Reception on February 18, 2009.

The convention concentrated on the theme ADVOCACY IN MIND: Partnerships that Bind. Honorable Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, attended to be the conventions keynote speaker. Yolanda Oliveros, Director of the Health Department’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control also spoke for the event. According to her, when an issue about Filipino’s mental health was raise, she said that mental disability is a “huge health challenge” in the Philippines since many Filipinos are exposed to “various extreme life experiences.”

Other speakers of the event were Dr. Daisy Jabido-Artuz, Dr. June Pagaduan-Lopez, and Dr. Marissa Pascual, who discussed topics of reining in aggression, psychosocial response to disasters, and mental health concepts and terminologies, respectively.

Other topics which were expounded in the event were ADVOCACY for Competency: Enlightening the Psychiatrist which covered Cognitive and Behavior Therapy, Psychotherapy, and Electro-Convulsive Therapy; ADVOCACY for Standardization of Care which covered Ramification in Caring for the Cancer Patient, Multifaceted Training for Renal Transplantation, and Psychosexual Therapy Regarding Intersex Issues; PROMOTING Mental Health; ADVOCACY for Research; ADVOCACY for Clinical Training; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ADVOCACY; and, PPA Link with Family Support Groups.

Activities such as SPORTSFEST called “Mental Health Olympics”, Business Meeting, Elections, Residents’ Case Presentation, FELLOWSHIP: “A Night of Mixed Nuts, Prizes and Surprises”, Research Grant Presentation, Conferment Rites, and Industry-Sponsored Symposia were also held in the convention.

The convention concentrated on the theme ADVOCACY IN MIND: Partnerships that Bind. Honorable Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, attended to be the conventions keynote speaker. Yolanda Oliveros, Director of the Health Department’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control also spoke for the event. According to her, when an issue about Filipino’s mental health was raise, she said that mental disability is a “huge health challenge” in the Philippines since many Filipinos are exposed to “various extreme life experiences.”

Other speakers of the event were Dr. Daisy Jabido-Artuz, Dr. June Pagaduan-Lopez, and Dr. Marissa Pascual, who discussed topics of reining in aggression, psychosocial response to disasters, and mental health concepts and terminologies, respectively.

Other topics which were expounded in the event were ADVOCACY for Competency: Enlightening the Psychiatrist which covered Cognitive and Behavior Therapy, Psychotherapy, and Electro-Convulsive Therapy; ADVOCACY for Standardization of Care which covered Ramification in Caring for the Cancer Patient, Multifaceted Training for Renal Transplantation, and Psychosexual Therapy Regarding Intersex Issues; PROMOTING Mental Health; ADVOCACY for Research; ADVOCACY for Clinical Training; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ADVOCACY; and, PPA Link with Family Support Groups.

Activities such as SPORTSFEST called “Mental Health Olympics”, Business Meeting, Elections, Residents’ Case Presentation, FELLOWSHIP: “A Night of Mixed Nuts, Prizes and Surprises”, Research Grant Presentation, Conferment Rites, and Industry-Sponsored Symposia were also held in the convention.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Web designers, developers and bloggers shared innovative and practical information on web standards, web accessibility, and web usability during the Third Mini Web Design Conference held last January 22, 2009 at the Cosmopoint International Institute of Technology in Quezon City.

Organized by the Philippine Web Designers Organization, guest speakers enlightened participants about the various aspects of web design and content management. Mr. Jan Pabellon, Vice President for Business Development of IT Group, Inc. gave an overview on the use of Concrete5, a new open source content management system (CMS). Mr. Alfredo Palconit, a search engine marketing consultant, discussed the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) and web design in order to increase traffic. Mr. Regnard Kreisler Raquedan, senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center and web and usability consultant, disclosed on how to price web design work. Mr. Remberto Esposa of the Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG) showed the participants how to write good ALT text which aid persons with disabilities in surfing the Internet. Mr. JP Dela Torre of Pigmata Media Inc. gave an overview on front-end optimization and best practices to make webpages load and render faster. And Mr. Eugene Alvin Villar, a hardware engineer, introduced another CMS called Textpattern.

Aside from learning management and designs, several participants won gift items from the event sponsors.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Philippine Government and WWF organized a summit that gathered business and policy leaders last January 19-20, 2010 to discuss the protection of the Coral Triangle. The Coral Triangle is known to be the world’s most diverse marine environment covering 30% of the world’s coral reefs. 76% of its reef building coral species as well as vital spawning also grounds for tuna. On the said event, business opportunities were outlined for key sectors operating in the region in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Since the Coral Triangle is under threat from over exploitation, environmental degradation, poverty and global economic recession, the summit provided a platform for financial support and investment for businesses willing to commit to sustainability and green growth. Meanwhile, Department of Environment and Natural Resources undersecretary Manuel Gerochi shared that by inviting sectors that rely on healthy marine environment in the Coral Triangle as well as the tourism, communications, and investment sectors, the event will contribute to the pursuit of sustainable business development and investment. Also, the summit placed special emphasis on the growing demand for ‘green’ products globally, which can drive sustainability in supply chains within the Coral Triangle.

For other inquiries, contact the CTI secretariat at +632.893.5642 or visit their website at www.ctibusinesssummit.net.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Geared toward the elevation of the clinical proficiency of dental medicine practitioners throughout the country, the Philippine College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (PCOMS) held its 49th Annual Convention, as well as its induction of officers, last Jan. 18 at the Quezon City Sports Club.

Themed “Updates on Surgical Management of Benign and Malignant Jaw Tumors,” Dr. Gary Brillo, PCOMS president-elect and chairman of the board, also said that another goal of the gathering was to “improve our chosen field of specialty, thus resulting to quality treatment.”

Among the roster of speakers for the event were Prof. Toru Nagao who discussed early detection and diagnosis of oral cancer; Dr. Mario Esquillo, who tackled clinical and radiographic outcome in the conservative management ameloblastoma; Prof. George Joji Sekine, who talked about functional reconstruction using osseointegrated implants; and Prof. Zhang Chen Pin, who headed the discussion about radial neck dissection. Dr. Jaime Aldecoa, on the other hand, talked about dental management of radiotherapy and chemotherapy patients.

PCOMS is a registered is a non-stock, non-profit which has been existing since 1960.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The 8th Annual Convention of the Young Economists’ Convention was held at the International Hall of the CSB Hotel International Conference Center last January 16 to 17, 2009. The year’s event saw the participation of more students from more schools around Metro Manila. This was complemented by the participation of students from schools all over the Philippines such as Ateneo de Davao University, Central Luzon State University, St. Louis University, Cagayan State University and University of San Carlos. International delegates from the 2nd International Conference were also present during the two day event.

Highlights of the first day of the convention include a keynote speech by Mr. Klaus Preschle, the country representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Philippines. He set the town for the rest of the activities with his keynote speech, "Is there an alternative to Casino Capitalism? The Concept of Social Market Economy." The keynote speech was followed by a series of panel discussions by professionals from different sectors. Lastly, undergraduate student research papers were presented.

The second day began with a set of Open Space Technology sessions, facilitated by members of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Open Space Technology is a self–organizing process for the conduct of seminars and discussions that allows participants to first submit ideas or topics, organizes these ideas and breaks participants into a number of separate groups, in order to get their comments, ideas and suggestions on the offered topics. Special presentations on industrial adjustment and inclusive growth in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia recommenced the afternoon session. Finally, special graduate student presentations and crash courses provided lessons or applications of new methodologies for economic analysis wrapped up the conference.

For further inquiries, you may visit their site at http://www.theyec.webs.com/ or their office at The 10th Young Economists' Convention, Suite 221 St. La Salle Hall,2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004 Philippines.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced that the demand for Filipino welders to work overseas is continuously rising.

According to TESDA Region I Director Washington Agustin, in his interview with GMA News, the demand comes from the ship building industry and manufacturers of industrial tanks such as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) tanks.

To be eligible to work abroad, applicant should have accredited training or experience in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).

Meanwhile, Ms. Acela Quibrantar, President of Yangwha Human Resources Corporation, informed TESDA of the good employment prospects for welders trained under the President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo – Training for Work Scholarships (PGMA-TWSP) project.

Ms. Quibrantar added that her company, which deploys Filipino welders in the Middle East, has a total of 509 welder-scholar graduates of PGMA-TWSP project ready for deployment to their job principals in the Middle East, Korea, Australia and Canada.

The PGMA-TWSP project offers scholarships to fresh high school graduates and employed workers who seek for a career change.

Through the PGMA-TWSP, TESDA offers scholarships for SMAW and GMAW training. Recently, TESDA Director General Sec. Augusto Syjuco announced the approval of the training regulations for GTAW and has included it in the courses supported by the PGMA-TWSP project.

Friday, January 16, 2009

On February 20 – 22, 2009, Tarlac will transcend from a historical province to the next wedding destination in the Philippines as local wedding suppliers gather at the Diwa ng Tarlac in San Vicente, Tarlac City for the Kasalang Filipino 2009 - Tarlac Leg.

Kasalang Filipino 2009 is a nationwide wedding fair road show which ties twelve (12) Philippine cities with one goal of promoting the local wedding industry. The following are the 12 cities of the 2009 road show – San Pablo, Tagaytay, Tarlac, Dagupan, Bacolod, Legazpi, Dumaguete, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Manila, and Cebu.

Tarlac as the third leg of Kasalang Filipino 2009 is co-presented by Kasal.com and ABS-CBN Regional Network Group in cooperation with the Tarlac Provincial Government, Coconut Grill Resort and Restaurant, and Café Maja Rica.

A Lovely Night. A couple lovingly looks at each other as they stand in front of a church in Tarlac City. Photo courtesy of Ariel Javelosa Photography

Numerous activities have been lined up for attending couples such as wedding talks and seminars on wedding photography, wedding planning, table setting and styling, cake decoration, and floral arrangement; a showcase of vintage wedding gowns by Tarlac’s known personalities; photo display of local churches; and bridal makeup competition made possible by Ever Bilena. Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) and Tourism students from Tarlac will compete in a table setting competition during the event. Local landscape artists will collaborate to transform the venue into a garden wedding venue. Lucky couples will get a chance to win free wedding giveaways, honeymoon packages, appliance showcases, and a free honeymoon trip to Macau during the bridal fair.

Friday, January 9, 2009

From ordinary to known personalities like Presidential daughter Luli Arroyo, Tagaytay City has attracted numerous couples to hold their weddings in the city because of its cool weather,picturesque churches and cosy gardens. As such, Tagaytay has become one of the premier wedding destinations in the country.

For soon-to-be wed couples who are planning for their special occasion, visit the Olivarez Convention Center in Tagaytay City on February 13 – 15, 2009 as it transforms to a venue filled with the best wedding suppliers for the My Wedding in Tagaytay, the second leg of Kasalang Filipino 2009.

Kasalang Filipino 2009 is a nationwide wedding fair road show which ties twelve (12) Philippine cities with one goal of promoting the local wedding industry. The following are the 12 cities of the 2009 road show – San Pablo, Tagaytay, Tarlac, Dagupan, Bacolod, Legazpi, Dumaguete, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Manila, and Cebu.

Numerous activities have been lined up for attending couples such as talks on wedding planning and wedding trends, bridal fashion show by Ramon Santiago, showcase of Cavite’s ethnic gowns, city tour, and bridal makeup competition made possible by Ever Bilena. Lucky couples will get a chance to win free wedding giveaways, honeymoon packages, and appliance showcases during the bridal fair.